Juan de Salinas y Loyola (Salinas de Añana, Castile, 1492 - Loja, Real Audiencia of Quito, 19 January 1582) spanish discoverer,conqueror and hidalgo belonging to the Alava branch of the House Hoñaz y Loyola of Azpeitia. Governor of Yaguarzongo and Bracamoros and Adelantado of these provinces (1571-1578).
Biography
editHe was the legitimate son of Bernardo Vélez de Loyola and Guiomar Fernández de Salinas, his wife, neighbors of the town of Salinas de Añana.Embarked to american continent in 1515 and participated with Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.
In 1531 decided to join the company of Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of Tawantinsuyu, accompanying him to the Santa Elena peninsula and Puná Island . He was present at the march to Cajamarca and during the capture and death of the Inca Atahualpa and once the ransom was paid, he set out with Hernando Pizarro, taking to king the " king's fifth" of that treasure, which belonged to the king Charles I of Spain.[1]
Notable character in the conquest of the Ecuadorian east and Peruvian Northeast. He founded many cities in the Amazon basin, including Valladolid (Ecuador), Loyola, Santiago de las Montañas, Logroño de los Caballeros, Santa María de Leiva, San Francisco de Borja (Ecuador), Jaén de Bracamoros, Sevilla de Oro and Santa María de Nieva.
On 8 December 1548, he participated in the final foundation of Loja, together with Captain Alonso de Mercadillo.Then on October 6 1549, he attended the founding of Ecuador.
He colonized the areas that would be the Yaguarzongo and Maynas governorates, he was also the first governor of Yaguarzongo and Bracamoros by 1556, then he would be named "Adelantado" of these areas in order to favor colonization and exploration.
In 1557 he got married in Lima with Bernardina de Alderete Mercado and they had Gaspar de Salinas y Loyola as their only child ,named in honor of his comrade in arms,Gaspar de Valladolid y Angulo.[2]
On 12 April 1557, Was present together with Gil Ramírez Dávalos at the foundation of Cuenca,on the ruins of the Inca city of Tomebamba, in honor of the homonymous spanish city of Cuenca. Later he toured the western amazon regions where he made important discoveries, including the Morona and Pastaza rivers.
On 1558, in search of "El Dorado", discovered the Pongo de Manseriche in the Marañón(Peru) river basin,through which he sailed; He passed to Maynas, to the Ucayali River, was the first to arrive east of Cuzco, and finally returned to Loja in 1559.
At the end of 1581, feeling old and tired from his constant adventures, he made his will where he donated all his livestock to build a hospital in the town of Cañaribamba, currently Girón. [3]
References
editIn spanish language:
- Gonzales Suárez, Federico, Historia General de la República del Ecuador (3ª edición), 1964, Ediciones Esfel.
- Boletín de la Academia Nacional de Historia - Volumen LXXV - Nos. 159-160 - 1997